CSE Undergrad News

Tuesdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm.

From Adam Blank:

CSE 390P (Programming for Fun and Competition) is a new course designed to teach competition programming.  It’s intended for:

BIOEN 498/599 – Global Health Technology: Molecular Diagnostics (WIN 2016)

Class detail: 4 credits, Spring 2016, WF 3:30pm-4:50pm, plus lab sessions to be arranged

Instructor: Dr. Barry Lutz, Department of Bioengineering (blutz@uw.edu)

Course Description: The course will teach engineers principles, tools, and technologies needed to practice or develop nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) diagnostics and their context in global health.

Overview: Analysis of DNA or RNA markers has revolutionized disease diagnosis, and translating this capability to low-resource settings is a major global health need. The goal of the course is for students to gain functional understanding and a baseline understanding of nucleic acid diagnostics, for developed world or global health settings. The first half of the course introduces the core processes in nucleic acid diagnostics with a focus on the underlying engineering analysis. In addition, we will touch upon translational issues and technical constraints of low-resource global health settings. Coursework will include application of engineering principles and quantitative analysis, but will be accessible to undergraduate students and graduate students with general chemistry, math, and engineering skills. Graduate students will complete an extra project assignment. This quarter we are adding a lab component that will address core processes including sample preparation, nucleic acid binding, enzyme kinetics, and detection.

Prerequisites: basic chemistry, differential equations (contact instructor for exceptions)

Topics covered may include:

1. Types of nucleic acids and their role in diagnostics (pathogen vs human, DNA, RNA, etc)
2. Structure and function of DNA and RNA (bases, base pairing, replication)
3. Thermodynamics and kinetics of nucleic acid hybridization (fundamentals, tools)
4. Enzyme function in context of diagnostic assays (functions, rates, stability)
5. Detection of nucleic acids (electrophoresis, absorbance, probes, lateral flow strips)
6. Molecular mechanisms of nucleic acid amplification methods (PCR, isothermal)
7. Chemical design (stoichiometry, rates) and modeling nucleic acid amplification methods
8. Genomic tools for design of diagnostics assays (pathogen gene targets, specificity)
9. Sample types and sample preparation (lysis, disruption, protection, purification)
10. Devices and instruments for nucleic acid diagnostics (laboratory and point-of-care)
11. Designing for global health settings (resources, usability requirements)
12. Test validation (samples, regulatory) and commercialization (market, major players)

From: Ed Lazowska <lazowska@cs.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Nov 1, 2015 at 7:08 PM
Subject: [cs-ugrads] Leadership Seminar Series
To: “cs-ugrads@cs.washington.edu” <cs-ugrads@cs.washington.edu>

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Ed Lazowska <lazowska@cs.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Nov 1, 2015 at 6:09 PM
Subject: [cs-ugrads] Winter Quarter entrepreneurship course
To: “cs-ugrads@cs.washington.edu” <cs-ugrads@cs.washington.edu>, Cs-Grads <cs-grads@cs.washington.edu>, cs-pmp@cs.washington.edu, vgrads@cs.washington.edu

From: Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.washington.edu>
Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 6:45 AM
Subject: CSE 403 in winter and spring 2016
To: CSE Ugrad Advisor <ugrad-advisor@cs.washington.edu>

Subject: CSE 403 in winter and spring 2016

The winter and spring offerings of CSE 403 will differ somewhat, and you may wish to take that into account when planning your schedule.

CSE 403, Software Engineering, teaches you to become a better software developer.  You get to work in a team on a project of your own choosing, and you will learn more about all aspects of the development life cycle (not just programming).

In winter, you can choose whatever project you like, but it is not supposed to relate to software development:  it should target non-programmers.  Common choices are a website or mobile app, but you have a lot of freedom so long as you target end users.

In spring, you can choose whatever project you like, but it is supposed to relate to software development.  You might build or evaluate an IDE or automated testing or debugging tool; again, you have a lot of freedom so long as you target programmers.

Enjoy CSE 403 in 2016!

-Mike

FYI, Stat 391 the stat course that counts as a core CSE course will be offered this spring and has new official prereqs of CSE 312, so you should take 312 by winter if you want to take stat 391 this spring. Also, Stat 391 does apply to the minor for math.

Old prereqs: minimum grade of 2.5 in MATH 126; 2.5 in MATH 308; either CSE 326,
CSE 332, CSE 373, CSE 417, or CSE 421

New prereqs: CSE 312 or (STAT 394 and STAT 395)

Catalog description:

The basic concepts of statistics, machine learning and data science, as
well as their computational aspects. Statistical models, likelihood,
maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation, regression,
classification, clustering, principal component analysis, model
validation, statistical testing. Practical implementation and
visualization in data analysis.  Assumes knowledge of basic
probability, mathematical maturity, and ability to program.

Learning Objectives:

– to be able to express the randomness of the observed data as a generative model
– to understand statistical concepts like likelihood, prior, bias, variance
– to understand the differences between the various data analysis tasks (e.g prediction, parameter estimation, dimension reduction) and to be able to cast a specific application question as a statistical question
– to be able to choose a specific method to solve a statistical question, by taking into account the statistical apropriateness of the method and its computational advantages
– to be able to perform statistical procedures on data, using statistical software, including their own software
– to be able to interpret the output of a statistical procedure, and to obtain measures of randomness of this output

We just added space to CSE 454, the internet systems capstone for fall quarter. Please feel free to register if you are a junior or senior.

SLN 12901

I’d like to make a special plug for the Accessibility Capstone this winter quarter.  There is a 2 credit ‘planning’ seminar this fall called CSE 490D.  SLN 22970  If you are curious about the course, I highly encourage you to sign up for the planning course.  There will be some pre-work done that will make the capstone move a little faster. This looks to be a great course that will  be more interdisciplinary than many of our courses.  We highly encourage you to consider signing up.  Since there is plenty of room in this course at this point in time, it will not be counted against you if you want to take a different capstone in the future.   This is a chance to take a course that could truly take a step forward in making a big difference in people’s lives.

Fall quarter, CSE 490D sln 22970

Accessibility:  In 481H, Winter 2016

In 481H we build projects addressing the needs of users with disabilities with a focus on technologies that enhance function, productivity and independence. With help and participation of end users, therapists and designers, projects will involve integrating novel input and output devices to create new interactive systems, which enable users to experience computing in new ways. Groups can use embedded platforms or off-the-shelf technologies and devices to implement their projects. We encourage the participation of design, HCDE and rehabilitation medicine students. Students enrolling in the winter capstone will be given priority placement in CSE490D in fall.

We finally have the 2015-2016 capstones, they are listed on the capstone page along with the link to pre-register.  Please fill out the survey by August 15th to receive priority registration. Computer Engineering students are guaranteed a capstone, CS majors who are graduating, we will try to get you in too, everyone else, we’ll do our best.

Capstone Information Page: with registration links

Please remember that capstones are best suited by seniors who have significant coursework behind them, at least a couple of 400 level courses ideally.

There are two new exciting capstones this year. An Accessibility Capstone run by Anat Caspi and Bruce Hemingway will take place during winter, with a low credit prep-course that you should plan to take in fall.  There is also a Virtual Reality capstone by Steve Seitz this winter.  More information is below.

Accessibility:  In 481H, Winter 2016

In 481H we build projects addressing the needs of users with disabilities with a focus on technologies that enhance function, productivity and independence. With help and participation of end users, therapists and designers, projects will involve integrating novel input and output devices to create new interactive systems, which enable users to experience computing in new ways. Groups can use embedded platforms or off-the-shelf technologies and devices to implement their projects. We encourage the participation of design, HCDE and rehabilitation medicine students. Students enrolling in the winter capstone will be given priority placement in CSE490D in fall.

Virtual Reality: Spring 2016

Students will work in small project teams to build applications and prototype systems using state of the art Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology.  Seattle is a nexus of VR tech, with Oculus Research, Valve, Microsoft (hololens), Google (cardboard, jump), and teams in the area.  We will be developing on the latest VR/AR headsets and platforms, and will bring in leading VR experts for lectures and to supervise student projects.  Students will experience the  end-to-end product cycle from design to deployment, and learn about VR/AR technology and applications.

Hey, CSE majors! This looks like a super interesting way to work on real problems in interdisciplinary teams, and to earn a couple credits before the quarter starts!

Announcing a New Opportunity for Undergraduates!
NextSeattle: Innovating for Urban Social Change/ BE 498

Applications due June 30, 2015
http://expd.washington.edu/nextseattle

Are you interested in working on important issues that face our city, nation, and the world?  Come work with peers and expert mentors to learn new skills and begin to develop solutions to urban challenges such as:

• Equity and access to public space;
• Youth and homelessness;
• Public transportation as a public good;
• How healthy are we?
• Urban mapping of public services/What resources where?;
• Big data for social good;
• Access to job training and skill building;
• What do we know about the air we breathe and the water we drink?

NextSeattle: Innovating for Urban Social Change is a 2-credit workshop offered Sept. 25-28, 2015 on the UW Seattle campus, providing undergraduates from all disciplines an opportunity to learn from regional innovators and develop an interdisciplinary team-based idea of their own.

Participants will:

• Engage in innovative interdisciplinary team-based ideathon to address urban challenges
• Be mentored by leaders in innovation
• Gain skills in design thinking, using the MakerSpace, and pitch training
• Present final ideas to mentors and guests
• Earn 2 academic credits toward Autumn Quarter 2015 (financial aid if eligible)

See website for more information and a link to a brief student application. Questions? Email: cocreate@uw.edu